Apparatus for cleaning cotton.



J. A. STREUN.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING COTTON.

APPLICATION FILEu JUNE12. I916.

Patented 1%. 19, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

eZA. S 'breaz/m 1 WITJVTESS I A TTORJV E1 J. A. STREUNM APPARATUS FOR CLEANING eonow.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, 191.6.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEE 2 4 SHEETS-'SHEET 4.

INV ENTOR.

eZ'A. Sire um Patented m); 19; 1918.:-

J. STREUN. APPARATUS FOR CLEANING COTTON.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I2, 1916- GUN MR G

WITNESS v ing clcvice.

' wherein the cotton citizen of the Uni'lccl States resi iiowie, in. el e county oi on'iagi'ze oi of Texas, have invented certain new and us oveinenis in Apparatus iot.

' ion of which follow...

J "en on has aiior. izo iinprove- 1 m in boll breakers anclcolton meaners id. in such connection rcie es more parilariy to an arr-a geinen't and construcmon of instrcmenislities so correlated Liza's the cotton to he treated is subjected. to a succession of picking, cleaning hea iing ancl spreading operations. and then delivered to a breaker roll and breast prior to its elelivery a succession of instrlnsenialities correlated "co again break the bolls anal tract the cotton ancl then subject cotton 0 a succession of beating and spreading operat-ions prior to delivering it to the coneyer leading to the in.

invention comprises an apparatus is delivered preferably under section to the various instrumentalities and the cotton manioulatccl mechanically on 02" adjacent to a screen beneath which suction is applied if reqiiirecl to (la-aw out the dirt loosened from "che coiton during the successive mechaaioal manipulations.

in (he carrying; one of my invention ll proviclc a succession of mechanical bearers ancl Spreaders and pickers operating on a succession of screens, the instromentalities serving io carry the cotton clonnwarcl in a succession oi steps to '"reaker roll and crease. The cotton is lien passed vertically through s revolving air pocket a second breaker roll.,.scr breast, and thereafter conveyed. ipwarcl by a succession of mechanical pickers. heaters and spreeclers operating on a succession of sci'eens ancl finally .ciischargccl upon hell; conveyccor equivalent ClQVlCG leaiing lo lhe gin.

The downwardly progressing; mechanisms ere separeted by e of air suction or desired the :se separated by the screens vacuum creasracuiim device and when from a suction apparatus or 3 L5 she secure-ans scope or my invcnoon will he more hilly undersizoocl icon; the fol slescriptioo, taken in connect on irdly progressing mecha Serial No. 163,118.

h the accompanying: drawings forming part hereof, 1n Wlnchboil breaker anti cleaner einboclfing the cam features of my lnVCIltlOIL 3519-. 2 is an elevational VlQVZ of the other the machine. is 1g. 3 is the top or'plan view with the top or cover partly torn away.

1g. 4: is a longliuclinal sectional View of machine. ig. 5 is a top or plan View of a portion oi the lower spreading picker rolls, and

Fig. 6 is detail sectional View" of the hell breaker roll and breach the section heing hen on line of Fig. 1.

erring to the drawings. 1 represents ihe inlet line or duct for cotton or cotton and bolls entering the machine. The cotton or bolls may be forced through inlet 1 sure of air or section. and is discharged in front of one of a pair of beater rolls 2-2. Each roll 2 has its spokes or arms projecting raclially and spirally from the center toward each cool of the roll. and both rolls revolve in the same direction which, as illusiratecl in Fig. 4-. is clockwise. Each roll 2 revolves with its spokes just; clearing a concave screen and ihe aesis of the front roll adjacent the inlet is in a plane above the plane of che axis of the second beater roll 2. The first roll 2 catches the cotton ami re- 's a side elevational view of a by prescave screen 3 and propels it onio operative engagement with the spokes or arms of the second beater roll. This seconci heater roll in. turn catches ihc coiton and revolve's it over its screen, spreacls it and propels it farther on in the chamber l. within which all the upper heater, spreader and picker mechanisms of the machine. are loomed. This chamber 4 has an outer or upper imperiorated roof or casing a lower floor comprising a series 0: concave screens 3, each cooperating with a corresponding roll or cylinder as hereinafeer more fully clescribed.

he next instrumeniality in the chamber l, succeeding the secomi beater roll 2, and revolving in a plane lower than the axis of said roll 2, is a single beater Wheel 6 having radiating arms which are oarallel with each ol'hee aini exiend across tse'wheel ii-in psi."- allel lines. The heater wheel catches the cotton as it leaves ihe second roll 5!; end are 'volves it over its concave cooperating screen 3 and discharges the cotton to the first of a pair of picker rolls 7. Each picker roll 7 the spirals of roll 21 or roll revolves over its cooperating screen 3 in the same direction as the wheels '6 and rolls 2, and the axis of the "picker roll 7 is below the axis of the wheel 6 and above the axis of the second picker roll. The first picker roll 7 catches the cotton from the beater wheel, revolves it over its screen 8 and delivers it to he second of the picker rolls 7. lhe last picker roll, after revolving the cotton over itsscreen 3, discharges it into a vertical extension 8, oil chamber 4; and onto a boll breaker located in said err-- tension 8. The boll breaker comprises a breaking roll 9 with parallel rows of teeth having pyramidal sharp edged backs 10, and rounded or semi-conical faces 11. The

faces 11 co-act with the similar faces 12 of teeth arranged in parallel rows on the breaker breast 13. This breast is adjustable toward or away from the roll 9, being maintained under s ring tension by means oi the springs M coiled on bolts 15 and tending normally to press the breast 13 working in box '16 The cotton, after passing between the roll 9 and breast i3, is discharged into a vacnu rn feeder 17, the revolving pockets of which discharge into the lower part of extension 8 above the second breaker roll 18 and breast 1'9, which are practically duplicates of the breaker roll 9 and breast 13. l

The second roll 18 cooperates not only with its breast 19 but also with a concave screen 20., over which it draws the cottonafter crushing the bolls against the breast 19.

The cotton, after being drawn by picker roll 18 over screen 20, is delivered to the first out a set of three spreading and heating rolls 21, 22 and 23. Each spreading and beating roll revolvcsin the same direction as breaking rolls 9 and 18, and in a direca tion opposite to that in which picker rolls 2" revolve. The axis of roll 21 is helow the axis of? roll 22, and the axis of roll 23 is above that of roll The prongs or fingers on each roll 21, 22 and 23 are arranged in double spirals starting from the middle and working therefrom to each end. (See Fig. 5). The arrangement of these spirals on roll 21 corresponds with that of the spirals on roll 23, but the spirals of roll are arranged reversely to 2". The spiral.

lingers of roll 21 or work the cotton from the center toward the ends of the roll 21 or 23, the spiral fingers of roll 22 work the cotton from the endsof roll.22 toward its center. This combined heating and spreading of the cotton new with me.

Each roll 21, 22 or revolves over a concave screen20, and the 23 in writes sesame mately so, to the'crosssectional hy heater rolls is broadly delivers thc'cotton to a picker roll 24. of substantially the same construction as picker rolls This picker roll 24 revolves the cotton over a concave screen 20 and then dis charges the same through outlet from. chamber 26, in. which breaker roll 18, spreading beater rolls 21, 22 and 23, and picker roll 24 all revolve, The outlet 25 leads preferably to a belt distributor 27.

The space below the screens 3 is partitioned ad from the vertical extension 8 and chamber 26 by an unperforated and preferahly flshaped partition 28. In the base of the chamber 29 so formed is located a trash conveyer 301st screw type discharging into a line 31 leading to the exterior of the machine. llie discharge end of the fine 31 is normally closed against entrance of exter nal air by the'canvas valve 32.

'l he chamber 29 below screens 3 is in open communication by ports 33 with a duct 34 leading to a suction apparatus. The combined areas of ports 33 is equal or approxiarea of the duct.

The spacehelow the lower concave screens 20 has inclined walls 35 to lead the dirt or trash coming through screens 20to a vacuum pocket 36 discharging to the exterior of the machine, The chamber 37 below screens 20 preferably connected through ports 38 with a duct 32, tapping the suction duct The inlet It is connected by a passageway (it), having an inner screen wall tl. and an outer 'nnperforated wall 42, directly. with the belt distributer 22". A valve or damper 13 in inlet 1 may he turned to dotted position (see Fig. 4-) to close the inlet of cotton to the machine and condnctthe cotton directly to passageway 40. A valve or damper 44 in passageway 40, when-in dotted .position closes the outlet 25from chamber 26 and opens the passageway to the distributer 27. a

By this manipulation of dampers as and 44- the cotton from inlet 1 may be diverted when required from the hell breaking and cleaning"instrementalities and discharged directly upon thehclt distributer.

in the operation or my machine the cotton for inlet 1 is manipulated by a succession of instrumentalities over the screens 3 in a step by step downward andrctary movement of the cotton. The heater rolls2, and heater wheel 6 thoroughly heat up and fiufi the'cot ton and carry it over and across the respec-' tire screens 3. "-When chamber 29 the dint loosened from the cotton lay the vihrating and com-hing operations of rolls 2 and wheel 6 is sucked through the screens 3 to the trash conveyer 30 in said chamber 29. The picker rolls 7 further manipulate the cotton over the cooperatingscrecns 3 before the cotton reaches the first breaker mechanism. Should the cotton he suction is applied to V free from boils, ce upper or lower, or looth upper and lfifif-ii', breaker rolis 9 18 may be rende ed practically inoperative by re rracting abreast or both breasts 13 and 19.

The cotton is next taken up by the rolls 21, 22 and 23, aura not only revolved and beaten, out is moved laterally over the cooperating screens 20 toward and away from the ends of the rolls. Suction when applied to chamber below screens 20 serves to draw the loosened dirt from the cotton, in its passage through the rolls 21, 22 and 23. The final. picking operation performed by the picker roll 2%: serves to loosen the cotton and distribute it in proper condition upon the con-- veyer 2?.

My machine is compactly built and is most, admirahiy adapted for cleaning belly or damp cotton since the impure or dirty cotion is rolled and shifted and picked and locatcn up by a succession of mechanical instrumentalities and is tumbled down and, drawn up step by step to receive the pro-per, aeration and proper iiuiiing prior to its discharge to the conveyer 27.

The peculiar formation of the teeth on breaker rolls 9 and 18 insures the proper manipulation of the staple to remove the, burs or bolls without chopping or breaking the cotton, and hence such formation of the teeth forms desirable portion of the pres ent invention.

Having thus described the nature and ohjects 01 my invention, what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus of the character de scribed a plurality of heating and spreading rolls, each roll-provided with double spiral rows of fingers and each row extending from a point intermediate oi the ends of the roli and extending therefrom to the ends of the roll, I

2V in an apparatus of the character de- SClllJQh a plurality of heater and spreading rolls having their axes arranged one below the other and each roll provided r ith double spiral rows of iii'igers, and each row extending from. the center toward the respective ends of :She roll, combined with a plurality of concave screens each cooperating with a heater andspreading roll.

3. In an apparatus voii the character described, a downwardly inclined der snc'tion, extension leading from said chainher and a second exiending chaniher under suction, with heating; and spreading rolis, and p roils arranged in step like oriie in the downwardly extending chamber, a boil breaking mechanism arranged in the vertical extem sion, beating and spreading relis a. picker roll mechanism arranged in step like order inthe upwardly extending and a series of concave screens in each channber and each cooperating with a respective roli and mechanism.

In an apparains or the character clescribed, a downwardly inclined cieaning chamber. a series of concave screens forming; the floor of said cl'iamloer, a series of cleaning instrnmentalities arranged in step by step order in said chamber, instrumentality cooperating with a sc een, a nieans for creating suction below said screens, a, vertical. extension leading Tom said chamber, a boil breaking" mechanism arranged in said extension, an upwardiy inclined chamber leading from the loottom of said extension, a series of concave screens forming; the floor of said second chamber, series of cleaning instrulncntalities comprisin esseniially three rolls each. provided w th double spirai rows of fingers and each row beginning a, point intermediate of and extending to the ends of the roll, said instrumentalines arranged in step by step order in said second chamber, each instrnrncntality cooperating with a screen, and a means for creating section be" low the screens said second chamber,

5.111 an apparatus of the character described, a boil breaker roii and each provided with 'rows oi eeet'n having; sensiconical operative front faces sen2i-pyramiclal rear faces,

6. In an apparatus of the character scribed, a boll breaker roii and provided with rows of teeth having conical operative front faces and S'Emii- ,y-

iii!

'rarniclal rear faces, in combination "with a concave screen cooperating With said roll.

n testimony Whereof'i have signed in}? name to tins specification. 

